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[NE2]

Just pretend they're talking about Carl Rogers.

[NE2]

You can follow much of the Corridor Q construction on the Goog: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=37.363131,-82.460761&spn=0.027663,0.056691&t=k&z=15&layer=c&cbll=37.362762,-82.461164&panoid=uyqOBp1fI-y00xAECtPh4g&cbp=12,124.31,,0,11.81

[hbelkins]

I'm surprised the Street View vehicles drove Wolfpit Branch. That is one of the most remote areas I've ever seen photographed.

Our meet tour crossed that bridge. We didn't stop, but some of the folks paused to get some photos.

[wriddle082]

A couple of general KY questions, as I now primarily work in the Lexington area and am being reacquainted with it:

* Billboard regulations:  I always thought billboards had to be located no less than 500' from interstate ROW (and I don't ever recall seeing any billboards along KY Parkways).  But just north of London along 75, there are a whole bunch of billboards a lot closer than 500'.  I think there is a similar situation on 64 just east of Cannonsburg.  Do county regulations trump state regulations regarding billboards?

* Reflectors:  I've always been a reflector geek at heart since I tend to do a lot of driving at night.  It seems KY is now using what I consider to be a "new old" style of reflector.  They've gone back to the old rectangular divots, but they're about 1.5 times longer than before, tapered at both ends, and contain (2) standard snowplowable reflectors spaced about 6-9" apart.  The result is just about the brightest reflector I've ever seen, and since they're combining two distinct snowplow-proofing techniques, they might just last as long as the pavement itself.  So far I've seen these on a stretch of I-75 b/w north of KY 418 and Man O' War, I-64 in Bath Co near Owingsville, US 27 in the Camp Nelson area (can't remember if N or S of the Kentucky River bridge), and I think the most recently completed 6-lane widened portion of I-75 b/w Lexington and Cincinnati (Williamstown area probably).

Overall I think KY's roads have certainly improved by leaps and bounds since 10 years ago when I last had to drive around there for work.  Better signage, more resilient pavement with periodic crack sealing (annoying to look at but it's a proven method), a higher speed limit (they were 65 till 2007 I believe), and excellent media reps who ought to be paid more!

[billtm]

Two questions:
1. Why does Kentucky have so many state highways?
2. Why doesn't Kentucky sign all of its state highways?

[hbelkins]

A couple of general KY questions, as I now primarily work in the Lexington area and am being reacquainted with it:

Welcome back to the Bluegrass.

* Billboard regulations:  I always thought billboards had to be located no less than 500' from interstate ROW (and I don't ever recall seeing any billboards along KY Parkways).  But just north of London along 75, there are a whole bunch of billboards a lot closer than 500'.  I think there is a similar situation on 64 just east of Cannonsburg.  Do county regulations trump state regulations regarding billboards?

Federal regs trump all, especially on interstates. There was a big controversy about a billboard with a religious message on I-65 a few years ago. A private landowner erected the billboard but the state still made them take it down. There are billboards on some of the parkways.

* Reflectors:  I've always been a reflector geek at heart since I tend to do a lot of driving at night.  It seems KY is now using what I consider to be a "new old" style of reflector.  They've gone back to the old rectangular divots, but they're about 1.5 times longer than before, tapered at both ends, and contain (2) standard snowplowable reflectors spaced about 6-9" apart.  The result is just about the brightest reflector I've ever seen, and since they're combining two distinct snowplow-proofing techniques, they might just last as long as the pavement itself.  So far I've seen these on a stretch of I-75 b/w north of KY 418 and Man O' War, I-64 in Bath Co near Owingsville, US 27 in the Camp Nelson area (can't remember if N or S of the Kentucky River bridge), and I think the most recently completed 6-lane widened portion of I-75 b/w Lexington and Cincinnati (Williamstown area probably).

I'm not sure about the new installation method. The long groove into which the reflectors are installed was done years ago, but they went away from that technique. I haven't been on those roads you mentioned to see the new installation method, and I think that section of I-75 you mentioned has been recently repaved.

Kentucky has gone away from reflectors on two-lane routes. They did a study that said they were not a significant factor in reducing accidents so now they are not putting them on two-lanes anymore.

excellent media reps who ought to be paid more!

I would agree with that statement. 

[wriddle082]

Ok so I had to make a run to Corbin this afternoon to meet a co-worker coming up from Knoxville with material for a project I'm gonna work on late tonight.  As I'm coming back up 75 to Lexington, I noticed new Road Work signs at the southern US 25 exit for Mt Vernon.  Just past the off ramp were small signs stating "ROAD WORK NEXT 6.2 MILES".  Would this possibly be for the next phase of I-75 six-lane widening up to where it currently stops between Renfro Valley and Berea?

Also, is the Duncannon Lane/Richmond exit the approximate location of the former rest areas b/w Berea and Richmond?

[amroad17]

As to the answer to your second question, the response is yes.

[hbelkins]

Ok so I had to make a run to Corbin this afternoon to meet a co-worker coming up from Knoxville with material for a project I'm gonna work on late tonight.  As I'm coming back up 75 to Lexington, I noticed new Road Work signs at the southern US 25 exit for Mt Vernon.  Just past the off ramp were small signs stating "ROAD WORK NEXT 6.2 MILES".  Would this possibly be for the next phase of I-75 six-lane widening up to where it currently stops between Renfro Valley and Berea?

I think this just may be a mill-and-fill paving project, but I'm not positive.

Also, is the Duncannon Lane/Richmond exit the approximate location of the former rest areas b/w Berea and Richmond?

Just south of it, near the spot where I-75 splits from two adjacent carriageways into the spot with the wider median.

[SSF]

after spending a lot of time in the Louisville metro the last month, I am a big fan of the flashing yellow and Kentucky' embracing of it.

[seicer]

LED street lighting has been installed within the last day or so on KY 676/East-West Connector in Frankfort on the ramps for US 60. They were on during this morning's dark and rainy commute and were pretty sharp. It's the first installation I've seen within the state.

[jnewkirk77]

LED street lighting has been installed within the last day or so on KY 676/East-West Connector in Frankfort on the ramps for US 60. They were on during this morning's dark and rainy commute and were pretty sharp. It's the first installation I've seen within the state.

We have some in Owensboro, but to my knowledge they aren't a KYTC install, but are being done by Owensboro Municipal Utilities.  The ones OMU is using around town are virtually identical. Overall, they're all right. My beef with them is that they don't seem to light as large an area as their predecessors.

[seicer]

I'm not sure that area covered is a main factor anymore. In many cases, roadways suffered from being overlit and the excess spilled out into areas that were not important to light (e.g. berms, skies, adjoining properties). That was an issue with some of the high mast lighting installed in the state - KY 859 was one example.

In cities, it's the same situation. When I lived in Cincinnati, the city had to tone down some of the historic pedestal street lamps because they were too bright. The white globes radiated the light in all directions - and upward, and residents complained because it appeared as if it was daylight outside at night!

There is also no correlation between over-brightness and safety - and those sodium vapors are terrible for contrast anyways.

[seicer]

Spotted some brand new poles with LED lights at the Waddy weigh station going eastbound along I-64. The lights are before the exit taper - I don't recall lights being there before. Meanwhile, the weigh station has some old, wooden poles - some leaning, with some really old light fixtures!

[seicer]

I was along US 119 last night down in Harlan County, and a small section of a new alignment of US 119 was opened along the Poor Fork of the Cumberland River in the vicinity of Barlow Branch. The roadway ended shortly after and shifted back on the old alignment. A significant bridge crosses over KY 3404 and Colliers Creek. I'm not sure of the alignment north and east from there, but it looks like the highway will use some strip mined/mountaintop removal sites. I'm unsure on how it will connect up to US 119 by KY 806 and KY 932 - as US 119 is a scenic byway at that point.

In general, US 119 has good right-of-way control east of Harlan, especially since it's been open since 1975, and excellent right-of-way control east of Cumberland - but it's also newer (1992). In comparison, US 119 west of Harlan was built out by 1966 and is just a mess of driveways and blind curves. Looks like a repaving project just west of US 421 is addressing some of the more obvious issues.

Drove about half of the Little Shepherd Trail/KY 1679 along the ridge again. It's a nice one-lane alternative to US 119 and I'm still thankful that the remainder of the road hasn't been paved. I did some fall foliage/waterfall photography down at a nature preserve and saw five bears. I remember that as a kid you would never see a bear in the state, but they were reintroduced in back in high school. It's become commonplace to see them up in the mountains.

[codyg1985]

I wonder if any of the additional rock cuts east of the bridge along the edge of the mountain indicate where US 119 will be relocated?

[hbelkins]

They commonly refer to that section of US 119 in southwestern Letcher and eastern Harlan counties as "the valley floor route" so it's not likely that the road will get too far up on the ride, especially since it's supposed to eventually tunnel under Pine Mountain when the ARC corridor is completed.

[seicer]

That's what I was looking at under one of their planning studies today. I think they are at the conclusion that it won't be four-laned, nor should it - it has some pretty low VPD numbers throughout, and that a tunnel would only be built for two lanes. I haven't heard any movement on that in some years.

That said, I had hot brakes on my Subaru coming down off of Kingdom Come last night! It was the first time it has happened in its 150,000+ miles, and I suspect it was because I was driving along the Little Shepherd Trail earlier. The downgrade was so steep that downshifting was useless. I took it slow and easy on US 119 to save those brakes, however.

[billtm]

Quick question: What is the possibility of upgrading (the east portion of) KY-4 to a controlled-access freeway?

[tidecat]

Quick question: What is the possibility of upgrading (the east portion of) KY-4 to a controlled-access freeway?

There have been numerous studies done through the years, but little will to seem to get it done.  I think it will happen, but it'll have to take a number behind the ORBP, I-69, the Brent Spence, the Mountain Parkway, etc.

[hbelkins]

Quick question: What is the possibility of upgrading (the east portion of) KY-4 to a controlled-access freeway?

Slim to none, and slim will no longer be granted interim approval.

ROW costs would be prohibitive because of all the businesses along that stretch.

[seicer]

Access control was sold by the city to initially fund New Circle Road, then called Belt Line Road. The earliest segments were built as a two-lane -dirt- road but was quickly paved. The city ran out of money, then sold off access, and was able to get it completed as far as Newtown Pike and Richmond Road. Most of that segment was built in 1950-51 and apparently widened to four-lanes in 1969.

The other half is what is now Southland Drive. Early maps have it labeled as Belt Line Road. It is built in 1950 with just two-lanes and has many access points, but was never upgraded beyond that.

The state built the remainder of New Circle Road between 1959 and 1969 going counterclockwise.

[seicer]

Looks like road construction has begun on a new KY 11 alignment from Mt. Sterling at I-64 to the Cecil Road vicinity: http://goo.gl/maps/nU04m

[NE2]

Looks like road construction has begun on a new KY 11 alignment from Mt. Sterling at I-64 to the Cecil Road vicinity: http://goo.gl/maps/nU04m

I don't see anything on the aerial?

[dfwmapper]

Not seeing it either. I did find a good entry for one of the signs threads nearby though. http://goo.gl/maps/C0VzM